Improvement in roller-skates



J. A. TO'DD.

Improvement in Roller-Skates.

No. 131,234. Patented Sep.10, 1872.

Zu i/912% UNITED STATES. PATENT Orrron.

JOHN- A. TODD, OF SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN ROLLER-SKATES.

Specification forming part-of Letters Patent No. 131,234, dated September 10, 1872.

Specification describing an Improved Skate, invented by JOHN A. TODD, of the city'and county of Sacramento and State of California.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is an elevation, and Fig. 2 a rear view, of my improved skate. V

My invention has for its general object to enable the skater to accomplish on rollerskates, with ease, grace, and confidence, certain complicated and dextrous movements (which have been heretofore done only with difficulty and excessive fatigue) by a simple construction, which renders the skates light, easy for the feet, strong, durable, and inexpensive.

In the drawing, A indicates the spring and main bottom plate of the skate. It is bent downward at each end so as to describe nearly the arc of a circle. The fastening-straps are of the rollers D D so as to turn or have a cor responding movement with them. B and E indicate posts, which are made in two parts, one fitting within the other, and secured together by a screw and groove, 6 i, so that one may turn on the other as a sleeve on a shaft. The connection is in fact of the nature of a swivel-joint. The inner or pivot parts of the posts are provided with horizontal flanges, whereby they are riveted to the ends of the plate A. Thus the -posts stand at an inclination toward each other at all times and at an angle to the floor, but the angle must be other than a right angle. The axles of the wheels D are rigidly connected-with the outer parts E of the posts.

In practice, when the skater wishes to turn he naturally inclines one or both feet inward, which, of course, causes the spring-plate to assume an angle longitudinally to the floor, and, by consequence, the posts are turned outward or inward, as the case may be. The axles,

being rigidly connected with the hollow parts of the posts are necessarily affected by this movement so as to throw them out of parallelism to each other, the outer wheels moving further apart, and the inner wheels moving nearer together. Thus the skate will describe a circle whose radius is limited mainlyby the elastic loop 0 and the will or skill of the skater.

Thus the skater has but to incline his foot or feet to one side or the other in order to describe a circle or are of a circle.

The loop 0 may be varied in strength, according to the skill or weight of the skater.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the posts B and E with the bent ends of the spring-plate A, the arms cl d, axles and wheels, the loop 0, and staple 6, all constructed and arranged as specified.

JOHN ATHELING TODD. Witnesses:

v(J. H. P. MUM,

SAML. A. WOLFE. 

